Smart ladies love rad music, the week in music 2/6/2013

Live stuff I saw

Friday I had the pleasure to attend my fourth WRIR Party for the Rest of Us in Richmond. The local independent radio station hosts a birthday party every year, complete with cake, and it’s one of my favorite events of the whole year.

This year, several bands played the main stage, DJs spun records in the lobby/cake room and the side ballroom hosted several different performances. These included The Listening Room presents (TLR is the best music showcase in the city), Secretly Y’all (songwriters tell the stories behind their songs), the Cheats Movement (Marc planned a showcase of local hip hop artists) and Colloquial Orchestra (an-ever changing improv musical group spearheaded by the incomparable Dave Watkins; musicians included Nelly Kate, Brandon and Matt from Snowy Owls, Jimmy from White Laces and my cute husband; listen to the performance HERE).

Around the Internet

I don’t think I’ve listened to anything as obsessively as I have Barna Howard in quite awhile. It’s just a guy and an acoustic guitar–normally not my thing at all–but his record is full of lovely, wistful songs that fit right in to my John Prine/Kris Kristofferson/Nashville (see below) soundtrack listening parties.

Katie and I LOVE the movie Junebug and wish Phil Morrison would direct another movie. Alas, he’s been doing music videos lately and this Yo La Tengo one for “Ill Be Around” featuring Mac McCaughan from Superchunk is quite beautiful. Fun fact: my friend named his cat after Ira Kaplan of YLT.

Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey Buckingham era, of course) is my favorite band ever so I was very pleased with Consequence of Sound’s Dissected piece on their whole catalog. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Former Smart Dame of the Week (oh I wish I still had time to do these regularly!) Tavi Gevinson sings in her sweet voice and plays guitar and records it sometimes. This Pet Shop Boys cover is used to promote Cadaver, an animated movie. I would buy her record.

Listening

I bought the new Veronica Falls LP, Waiting for Something to Happen. One of the songs is called “Daniel,” which made me think about this Bat for Lashes song, of course, which I am now listening to over and over, trying to remember why I stopped listening to this record. Fun fact: I was in love with a Daniel once and it didn’t turn out well but it does not affect my love of this song.

I haven’t seen Nashville since high school, when I watched all of Robert Altman’s films before deciding I hate him (I have since reversed this position). I’ve been reaching for the soundtrack quite a bit lately and “Memphis” by Karen Black is short and perfect. I love how she can’t hit that note in the end just right.

Oh and this one too. This might explain my Barna Howard love. Hmmm.

My ears are craving more country-ish things as of late–there’s been lots of Michael Nesmith and Linda Ronstadt LPs being spun in the record room.

Let’s end on something less depressing! I loved the pilot for “The Americans,” and, like everyone else, I thought the show used music very well, including Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk.”